As with many good ideas, the embodiments revealed in this document were inspired by loss and crafted by searching for new and better ways to deal with this loss and the challenges it presented. In 1995 my Father passed away and I was faced with a set of problems that were new to me, these involving his grave care. Until that point I had not given any thought to the goings on in the cemetery environment or the after care of a loved one. One thing I did know is that I wanted his gravesite to express the fact that he was loved and missed by his family and friends and for it to also display a bit of his unique individuality. My vision was one of a peaceful place with ample floral decorations to symbolize resurrection and rebirth, displayed in an aesthetically pleasing manor. The first problem I encountered was that there were very limited options available in the market place. None of which allowed me to accomplish my goal in a way that added to the aesthetic presentation of the floral display I wanted for my Father's grave. I walked our cemetery and found that I was not alone in this quest, viewing many feeble attempts along the way. It seemed that most folks made due by using a green or white Styrene foam product that is sold in craft stores, this in an effort to secure their floral displays to their loved ones grave. My attempts at creating usable floral displays by employing this foam weren't any better. I quickly came to the conclusion that this foam was not the medium to use for this endeavor. It is neither good at retaining the floral display and is in no way aesthetic. It is time consuming to work with and requires the use of sharp cutting tools to shape and fit to the vase or monument. The use of these sharp tools can pose a risk of injury to the unskilled. It is unforgiving and if you didn't cut it just right or made it undersized you had to throw it away and start over. It is dirty, expelling many small gritty particles when it is shaped or cut. It is buoyant and could float right up out of the vase in heavy rains, dislodging the floral display. I found that the only way I could use this foam was to first glue it to the floral display and then to the monument. Simply put this was not the aesthetic I was looking for. I thought to myself, there had to be a better way and so I set out to create an answer.
Over time, I have been working diligently on various ideas that have at their core a clear set of goals that I wanted to achieve. My solution should be aesthetically pleasing. It should retain the floral display to the monument and not be dislodged by water or wind. It should be easy to use, quick to set up and install in the vase, vessel or monument. Sharp tools should not be need for its installation and use. It should make grave care simpler and give the gravesite a professional look. My thinking was that to be aesthetically pleasing, my creation would need to conceal the hole or bore opening in the vase, vessel or monument. My choice was to use a decorative surface or cover that could be slightly convex, keeping water and other undesirables out of and away from the vase, vessel or monument bore. The cover would allow for the attachment of a means or methods of retaining it to the vase, vessel or monument. This could be accomplished through the use of a method or methods of applying friction and or horizontally directed force against the inner walls of the bore of the cemetery vase, vessel, and or monument. A pulling force could also be applied to the underside of a gravestone type monument. I thought this connection could be achieved through the use of a tubular structure possessing one or more strategically placed springy beam tabs, one-way rollers and or other means of applying friction, downward pulling and other retention forces to the vessel bore. Alternatively, a closed cell foam material with an internal spreader could be used. In addition the cover could also have provisions for retaining artificial flowers. The flower retention device could add to the water resistance of the cover by protruding a distance above it and reducing the chance of rainwater entering the vessel through the flower retention device. A flexible seal could also be added to the retention device if needed. In covering the vase, vessel or monument bore another great advantage has been gained. The elimination of standing water provided by this cover shielding action denies disease caring insects a place to breed and thrive. In summer months, seldom does a week pass without a story appearing in the news media telling of an out break of the West Nile Virus. In 2009, a story was aired on the CBS evening news telling of how cemeteries in an effected area had asked that all floral arrangements be removed until the epidemic had subsided. Some cemeteries dispense a water retaining jell material that can have limited success if used properly. This jell does nothing for open vessels or for vessels that contain artificial floral decorations that still retain standing water. Just a few days are all that is required for these pests to gestate, unleashing swarms of disease caring vampires upon neighborhoods. These out breaks subsequently require the spraying of pesticides to quell and this spraying raises more health concerns in the affected community. Just a quick walk through any cemetery and you will soon realize that there are uncounted swimming pool volumes of stagnate water contained in the many uncovered flower vessels that populate the cemetery grounds. As well as promoting disease, in colder climates this standing water can freeze and expand, causing significant damage to vases and monuments. Ground vessel installations present another hazard. People attending funerals or walking in the graveyard have a tendency of tripping or turning ankles when stepping upon the edge of the open holes that these ground installations present. These ground openings can also eventually become unsightly when a grave goes unattended for a period of time, this allowing a place for un-mowed grasses and weeds to flourish. Another problem common to these open holes is that wind blown refuse tends to accumulate in them. By using my creation and covering the vase, vessel or monument bore these and various other problems can be averted.
Yes, I believe I have met or exceeded my goals. My design can be customized to work with the many and various styles of vases and or monuments found in the cemetery environment. Its flower retention methods are superior. The cover portion of my design gives the vase and or monument a neat, finished and a well kept, professional appearance and also the design provides many levels of safety to the cemetery environment. So say goodbye to the green foam and all other options as they have met their match.
There are several patents that have been granted for devices that try to deal with retaining silk flowers to a gravesite. None of these prior art devices combine the features and performance that my device offers.
One device is the Hugstem #7059082. This device uses a conical plastic structure that contains a series of foam pads at its center to retain the floral display. It relies on a series of foam rings to retain the device to the monument. Another device is Silk Flower Holder #7310909. It was created for a company that sells silk flower arrangements and is proprietary to their product. To my knowledge, of all the granted patents, though inferior, these two examples of prior art come the closest in design and intent to my device. The other patents that fall in the same class and category do not.
My device is superior in design to all others in many ways. It offers features and methods that make it unique and innovative. Unlike Silk Flower Holder #7310909, my device will be easy to use, reusable and can be purchased without being connected to a pre packaged flower arrangement. This enables the installer to create their own personalized and individualized flower display. Unlike Hugstem #7059082, my device does not rely on foam strips to retain the flower, as these can allow the flower to tip or wiggle out in the wind. Nor does it use unsupported foam rings to retain the device to the vase or monument. Over time these unsupported rings can take the shape of the monument and no longer properly retain the device to the monument or vase. Neither of these designs adds the component of being decorative as mine does. Yes, Hugstem has provisions for added decorations, but when installed in the monument or vase you are still presented with a black hole populated by slotted foam sheets. Thats not decorative in my opinion and doesn't compliment the presentation. Neither design adds the component of intentionally shielding the bore of the cemetery monument and or vase from water incursion as my design does. My device possesses both flower and monument retention methods and features that are more positive and are better in design then both of these. Shortcomings of the other designs that fall in this category are that they are either impractical or not saleable. One design even using elastic cords to secure the flower to the monument. I just can't see that selling in the real world. The remainder use methods and features that don't correlate with the methods and features used by my design.